Our Committee
Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University
Professor Elizabeth Johnson
Elizabeth J. Johnson, Ph.D. obtained her Ph.D. in nutritional biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her postdoctoral work was conducted at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Center on Aging at Tufts University where she began clinical studies on research on human metabolism of carotenoids. She currently has a faculty appointment at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University. She has over 30 years of experience in the study of nutrition and healthy aging with an emphasis on carotenoids and age-related visual and cognitive function and has over 100 peer-reviewed publications of which more than sixty are on the topic of carotenoids. She has been a member of the International Carotenoid Society since 2006 and presently holds the position of treasurer. Other memberships include the American College of Nutrition, Carotenoid Research Interactive Group, American Society for Nutrition, and the Brain and Ocular Nutrition Group. Dr. Johnson also has editorial roles at Nutrients and Journal of Nutrition in Gerontology and Geriatrics.
Interesting fact: I got my middle name because when my mom was pregnant with me, in the previous three years she had 3 boys in a row. She prayed to St Jude (patron saint of lost causes) for a girl. And voila! Elizabeth Judith Johnson
Professor John Nolan
South East Technological University
Professor John Nolan, a Fulbright Scholar, is a full professor at the South East Technological University (SETU), Waterford, Ireland, where he holds a Howard Chair in Human Nutrition and is the Director of the Nutrition Research Centre Ireland (NRCI). His research centre studies the role of nutrition for vision, cognitive function and prevention of age-related diseases. In 2011, Prof Nolan won a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) research grant to study the impact of nutritional supplementation on visual function via two major clinical trials (CREST 281096; Central Retinal Enrichment Supplementation Trials). As part of this ground-breaking work, Prof Nolan identified how targeted nutrition can improve visual function for the general population, and for patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). More recent studies at the NRCI have investigated the link between nutrition and brain health and function, and over the last number of years Nolan and team have published novel papers on how targeted nutrients enhance cognitive function for the general population and improve quality of life for patients suffering with Alzheimer’s disease. Nolan’s work has had a major societal impact for patients suffering with AMD and for enhancing vision of the general population; for recognition, the CREST project was selected for presentation at a high-level conference entitled ‘EU Research & Innovation in Daily Life’, which took place at the European Parliament in Brussels to highlight the impact of EU-funded research and innovation in daily life. Prof Nolan has published 117 peer-reviewed scientific papers on his area of research (H index = 53). A major career highlight is his role as founder and Chair of the International Brain and Ocular Nutrition Conference (BON Conference), which was held at Downing College, Cambridge University.
See www.profjohnnolan.com for further details. Google Scholar - H Index
Professor Ríona Mulcahy
University Hospital Waterford
Professor Ríona Mulcahy is a Consultant Physician in General and Geriatric Medicine at University Hospital Waterford. She is the Undergraduate Dean in the Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland and Senior Lecturer in Medicine in the RCSI and University College Cork. She is a senior PI for the Nutrition Research centre of Ireland and a visiting Professor in SETU.
She was appointed Clinical Director in UHW in 2023. She also chairs the National Clinical Program for Stroke. Her previous leadership roles included Lead in the Department of Medicine and secretary General of the Irish Gerontological Society.
Her areas of specialist interest are in neurodegenerative disorders: Dementia, Stroke and Parkinson’s disease as well as Poly pharmacy in the Elderly.
She has many research interests and works in collaboration with the Nutrition Research centre in the South East Technological University Waterford (SETU) looking at the role of nutrition specifically carotenoids and omega 3 fish oils in Dementia and Age related Macular Degeneration and has extensively published in the field.
Moran Eye Center, University of Utah
Professor Paul S. Bernstein, MD, PhD
Paul S. Bernstein, MD, PhD joined the faculty of the Moran Eye Center of the University of Utah in 1995 where he currently divides his time equally between clinical and basic science retina research and a clinical practice devoted to medical and surgical treatment of diseases of the retina and vitreous with special emphasis on macular and retinal degenerations. He was promoted to Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences in 2007 and awarded an endowed professorship in 2008. Dr. Bernstein did his undergraduate, MD and PhD training at Harvard University, his ophthalmology residency at Jules Stein Eye Institute of UCLA, and his vitreoretinal fellowship at Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary. Dr. Bernstein’s current research interests focus on the biochemistry and biophysics of nutritional interventions against inherited and acquired ocular disorders. His laboratory is a leader in the study of the proteins involved in the uptake, stabilization, and metabolism of lutein and zeaxanthin in the human macula as well as the biosynthesis and function of very long chain fatty acids in the retina. Dr. Bernstein has authored over two hundred peer-reviewed research articles and reviews as well five patents, and he has served as a reviewer for numerous journals, foundations, and institutes. In 2016, he was awarded the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Outstanding Humanitarian Award for his work training aspiring retina specialists in Nepal, Bhutan, Ethiopia, and Ghana. In 2021, he delivered the Mildred Weisenfeld Award lecture to the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). Dr. Bernstein was a principal investigator for the AREDS2 study, and he currently serves as the Vice-Chair for Research at the Moran Eye Center and was vice-president of ARVO from 2016-2017.
The fun fact to add is that I am a collector of rare trees. Highlights of my collection include a Wollemi Pine and a Chihuahua Spruce, both of which were discovered in the wild less than 100 years ago.
Dr Gareth McKay
Queen’s University Belfast
Dr McKay is a Reader (Associate Professor) in the Centre for Public Health at Queen’s University Belfast and leads a multidisciplinary group of researchers investigating clinical and epidemiological chronic disease outcomes, with a focus on the molecular determinants of diabetic kidney disease and renal transplantation. McKay also has expertise and experience in investigating the molecular pathogenesis of dementia and diabetes-associated complications to identify genomic, physiological and nutritional determinants of healthy ageing and human disease. These nutritional factors include the role and implications for vitamin E and carotenoid insufficiency in eye, cardiovascular and cognitive health outcomes, and premature mortality. Previous studies have included investigations of candidate genes, genome-wide and epigenome-wide screens, and whole exome/genome sequencing in addition to epidemiological evaluation of well-characterised cohorts.
McKay is currently Director of Operations for the Northern Ireland Cohort for the Longitudinal Study of Ageing, a prospective study entering Wave 3 / 10-year follow-up of 8,500 older adults. Additional research interests include investigation of comorbid conditions such as Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Syndrome, supported by Innovate UK funding in collaboration with MultiOmic Health.
McKay is visiting scholar to the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. He is Scientific Advisor to the Northern Ireland Kidney Research Fund and has undertaken multiple expert advisory roles, including sub-panel chair, for the Research Executive Agency and the Health and Digital Executive Agency of the European Commission Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe research programmes over the past 10 years.
Interesting fact:
I have a home in North-West Donegal on the Wild Atlantic Way, a Lonely Planet recommended destination on a costal route along the Irish Atlantic seaboard, where ancient history collides with spectacular and wild scenery, especially when the sun shines.
Dr Jim Stringham
South East Technological University
Dr. Stringham earned his doctorate in experimental psychology / vision science from the University of New Hampshire in 2003, and did postdoctoral training at both the Schepens Eye Research Institute at Harvard Medical School and the Medical College of Georgia. He has since held positions at the University of Georgia, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and most recently the Duke Eye Center. Nearly all of his research has been geared toward understanding visual, cognitive, and metabolic benefits of proper nutrition. Recently, he became the Chief Scientific Officer for MacuHealth, where he is investigating new ways that nutrition can benefit people across the lifespan.
Funny fact: In 1992, Dr. Stringham played the guitar in a commercial for Levi's blue jeans.
Professor Aaron Barbey
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Aron Keith Barbey is the Mildred Francis Thompson Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior, and the Decision Neuroscience Laboratory at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He began his career at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2011, where he was promoted to full professor in 2019. Dr. Barbey’s research investigates the neural mechanisms of human intelligence and decision making, with particular emphasis on enhancing these functions through cognitive neuroscience, physical fitness, and nutritional intervention. His research has been supported by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Department of Defense, the White House BRAIN Initiative, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and private industry (Abbott Nutrition, Google Brain, and PepsiCo). Dr. Barbey has received multiple research awards and is the editor of the Cambridge Handbook of Intelligence and Cognitive Neuroscience and the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of Cognitive Enhancement and Brain Plasticity. He earned his doctorate in Psychology from Emory University and completed a research fellowship in Cognitive Neuroscience at the National Institutes of Health.
Universidad de Seville
Professor Antonio J Meléndez Martínez
Prof. Meléndez Martínez is a Stanford University’s World’s 2% Scientist since 2020.
His main research interest deals with. the sustainable production of health-promoting foods,. He coordinated two large international networks (CYTED-IBERCAROT and COST-EUROCAROTEN) participated by scientists from more than 50 countries. Some awards and recognitions:
International Carotenoid Society George Britton Award for Young Researcher
Fellow of the International Carotenoid Society
Manuel Losada Award to Excellence in Agro-food Research
Iberoamerican Academy of Pharmacy Award.
Induction to Sigma Xi, the Honour Scientific Society.
He has been a fellow of very competitive programmes (Marie Curie, Ramón y Cajal, etc.) and is a regular invited speaker at scientific and industry-oriented events.
Interesting facts
Lost cause carotenoid addict.
Loves BBQs, falling asleep while watching movies with his family, listening to music over a coffee or beer and crate digging in record stores.
Dr. Kwadwo Owusu Akuffo is a Senior Lecturer and Former Head of Department, Optometry and Visual Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana. Dr. Akuffo completed his Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree in 2011 at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and obtained his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in 2017 at the Nutrition Research Centre Ireland, Waterford Institute of Technology (now South East Technological University), Waterford, Ireland. His Ph.D. investigated the impact of macular carotenoid and co-antioxidant supplementation on visual function in patients with early age-related macular degeneration and was supported by the European Research Council. He was then appointed as a Lecturer at the Department of Optometry and Visual Science (KNUST) in 2018, where he contributes to training the next generation of optometrists and vision scientists. His research focuses on ophthalmic epidemiology and ocular nutrition.
Dr. Akuffo has published over 40 scientific peer-reviewed articles and contributed to several conference proceedings in his research field. He is an Associate Editor for Springer Nature’s BMC Ophthalmology journal and a reviewer for several ophthalmic journals.
He is a member of the Ghana Young Academy (GhYA), Ghana Optometric Association (GOA), and the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (AAO), The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) Young Affiliate and an Affiliate of the African Academy of Sciences.
In addition to his academic and research work, Dr. Akuffo is very passionate about mentorship and the career development of young people. Through his mentorship, students have won several prestigious international awards, including the Harvard Crossroads Emerging Leaders Program (CELP) Fellowship and Developing Country Eye Researcher Travel Fellowship (DCERF). Dr. Akuffo currently serves as a Board Member of the African STEM Network (Afrisnet) and Youth Arise Organization (YAO).
An interesting fact: I have got a heart that beats for community service, and I am always ready to lend a hand and a smile.
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Professor Kwadwo Owusu Akuffo
Ophthalmology at the University of Alabama
Professor Christine A. Curcio
Christine A. Curcio PhD is the White-McKee Endowed Professor in Ophthalmology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine. She trained at Brown University (BS), University of Wisconsin- Madison, University of Rochester (PhD 1982, Neurobiology and Anatomy), Boston University and University of Washington (post-doctoral) before joining UAB in 1990. Using laboratory and clinical approaches, she researches human retinal neuroscience, aging, and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a prevalent cause of irreversible vision loss in older adults. Maps of human photoreceptors showing rod loss in aging and AMD stimulated development of rod-mediated dark adaptation as a functional indicator for AMD onset. Contributions in AMD anatomic and molecular pathobiology include drusen and characteristic extracellular deposits, outer retinal neurodegeneration and gliosis, transdifferentiation of retinal pigment epithelium, and microarchitecture of neovascularization and atrophy. Histologic studies support clinical retinal imaging (optical coherence tomography, fundus autofluorescence, adaptive optics-assisted scanning laser ophthalmoscopy) including the Classification of Atrophy Meeting, an international consensus group seeking OCT-based imaging endpoints for AMD clinical trials. Peer-reviewed publications (~250) garnered 31,126 citations with an H-index of 87 (Google Scholar, August 2023). She serves on editorial boards of Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science and Retina. She has served on the NEI Board of Scientific Counsellors, NIH study sections, and currently reviews for vision funding agencies in US, Europe, and UK. She was awarded the 2002 (inaugural) Roger H. Johnson Prize for Macular Degeneration research, 2014 Ludwig von Sallmann Prize, 2020 Research to Prevent Blindness – David F. Weeks Award, the 2022 Lawrence A. Yannuzzi Lectureship of the International Retinal Imaging Society. She is 2022 Laureate of the Future Vision Foundation https://futurevisionfound.org/2022-films